Archive for November, 2011

The last day of the month, and a nice one in the Valley - I’m expecting Gord Gorrie in from Nakusp this morning to pick up his Gasser, that needed some fixing - hopefully his drive through the Monashee mountains will be uneventful.

Later, I will be going to Kelowna, as it’s month end, - maybe I will stop by the camera shop to check out what accessories they have for my Nikon.

Taff called last night, and we had a long chat about everything under the sun - he still works for Bowden Engineering, where they make truck bodies and other stuff - all heavy duty. - He hopes to get back into the Trials scene in 2012.

Just received an email and pics, of an old Trials Ariel, from a guy living in Calgary - We spoke on the phone last week, and he is looking to sell the unit, which is a basket case - Anybody interested please contact me, and I’ll forward on the info:

In Formula One - the latest news has Kimi Raikkonen making a comeback in 2012 - The “Ice man” as he’s called, will drive for Lotus Renault, and says he is fully motivated to get back into the sport - he was World Champion in 2007 driving a Ferrari. - Kimi has been driving in the World Rally Championship for the past two years.

The big topic on the Trials front at the moment, is the decision by the ACU in England to run their British Championship Series as “No Stop” - It remains to be seen whether the FIM follow a similar path with the World Rounds.

I’ve been reading all the comments on the Trials Central forum, and as you might expect, the camps are split on the new format - it will be interesting to see how this works out.

Sitting up on the hillside above Kelowna last Sunday with Barry, we chatted about the subject, and as we have both been around for a long time, we debated the pros & cons of both Stop and No Stop. - The one thing that we both agreed on, was the need to keep our Trials fun for everyone, and no matter how they run the sport at World level, we should continue the way we are, with small upgrades to our rules as required - for example, neither of us like the current situation where a rider can stop with a foot down while assessing the next obstacle, and still get away with a “One” - Where is the skill in that? - However, if the sections are designed correctly, I see no reason to penalize riders talented enough to hop or back-up. ( my opinion) - At our Summerland events, we try to give the riders in every class, the chance to show the skill needed to traverse a wide variety of terrain, while still catering to the average guy with no hope of getting on the podium. - Experience has proven that people like what we do, and they keep coming back in ever increasing numbers - As I’ve said many times, there is more to Trials riding, than blasting up a rock wall.

Changes should, and indeed have to be made at the European level, where sections have become almost insane for most riders, with the result that entrees have dwindled to a mere handful in the Championship Class.

For 2012, it’s quite possible that the WTC ( World Trials Canada) will change a few rules, but these will only be done after talking to the riders, and the clubs - unfortunately, even with the modern electronics of today, the majority of riders, don’t bother to post their views on many topics - perhaps this is because, there is always the chance that they will be trashed by somebody with a different perspective. - It’s a big Country, but connected in a fraction of a second, by the mere click of a mouse.

The fact that our WTC National Series has been highly successful, for the past three years, only goes to show, that most riders like the way things are - costs are down, sections are sensible, and any concerns by the riders, are addressed. - Having been involved in Canadian Trials since 1969, I’ve been lucky enough to ride with, and help, riders of all ages - it’s a wonderful sport, but there has to be rules, just as there has to be law - if you break the rules it’s called cheating, if you break the law, it’s called criminal.

“It’s getting to look a lot like Christmas” - at least in many places, as posted yesterday, the snow in the Mountains is already attracting lots of snowmobilers into the Revelstoke area, and other winter destinations.

I can certainly remember many “White Knuckle” driving experiences on roads all over Western Canada, but fortunately, I never once got involved in an accident or went in the ditch. - As anybody living in Alberta knows, the #2 Hiway from Calgary to Edmonton can be a real beauty, and I still have visions of vehicles spinning off into the “Toolies” during the winter storms. - As Mitch Langell posted on facebook last night - many Albertan’s envy us living in the Okanagan. - Not that it’s all “Peaches and Cream” - as all the roads out of our Valley, are over Mountain Passes, so any winter trips need to be well planned.

There seems to be no stopping ex Trials rider Taddy Blazusiak, who hopped on a plane back to Europe last week, to compete in what they are now calling the “Super Enduro Series” - the first event for 2012 was held in Genoa Italy, last Saturday, and the KTM factory rider won all three races at the Indoor Stadium. - Cody Webb had a reasonable night, but failed to get on the podium. - The next race is in Blazusiak’s home Country of Poland, where he is rated as a national hero.

With the MotoGP season now over, Valentino Rossi swapped two wheels for four at a Rally Cross event in Italy - the multi time World champion surprised many, by beating Sebastian Loeb in two races. ( It was likely the most fun he had all year)

And last but not least - I did watch some of the Grey Cup game late yesterday, after getting home from Kelowna, although I’m not a football fan - I can appreciate the strategy needed to win the game.

Well the early morning drive to Revelstoke yesterday, was interesting - loose snow on top of bare ice for most part from Sicamous to Revvy, where it definitely looks like winter. - I left Vernon at 6,45am and made good time even though the traffic was only going around 70-80km for long stretches.

Met up with Rick Chong and his wife, who drove in from Calgary the night before, and spent some time chatting about the sport while doing our paperwork in the lobby of the Sandman. - then it was time to unload the Sherco from my van, and roll it up into the snow filled back of Rick’s pickup. We got quite a few “Looks” from people driving into the parking area with snowmobiles on their trucks. - The trip back for both of us was uneventful - but I saw that the Rogers Pass is closed today because of a big snow fall. - ( once again we squeaked through at the right time)

Back in the Valley, the forecast was good for a Sunday ride, so I met Barry at Bear Creek and we had a blast - no snow at all, even at the upper levels, although the wind was howling pretty good. - We made some new sections and went on a neat trail ride, before calling it a day, and went for lunch.

I see that most of the top British riders, have posted comments on facebook, expressing their views on the ACU plan to go “No stop” in 2012 - James Dabill who is the current Champion, has gone as far as to say he will not ride in England next year, but will contest the Spanish Championship. - Time will tell how this all pans out, but in my opinion, there has to be a better way to get the numbers up at both World and British Championship events.

In F1 at the final race in Brazil - it was another Red Bull 1-2 finish, but this time it was Mark Webber who took the win, with Vettel 2nd and Jenson Button 3rd.

JTG have announced the signing of Mika Ahola to ride their Enduro bike in 2012 - this is a 300 2 stroke with an electronic power valve ( similar to the Yamaha RZ 350)- Ahola is a five time World Champion.

An early start for me today, as I head out the door for a drive to Revelstoke - I’m meeting a Calgary guy there to deliver a new Sherco (2011) - not sure what to expect with the weather, but this can be a very nasty road in the winter. - It will also be my first trip out of town in my new van, so hopefully everything will go without incident.

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The news about the Brits going “No Stop” for their Championship series has certainly sparked some comments on facebook - Alexz Wigg has posted to say that his biggest problem isn’t with the rules, but how to afford to travel to the events.

While changes obviously needed to be made, it does appear that the ACU will be coming under attack for going Non Stop - What does seem to be the same all over, is that British riders, just like here in Canada, rarely speak up or attend meetings to work out any rule changes.

The last F1 race takes place this weekend in Brazil - Lewis Hamilton has been fastest in practice - qualifying goes later today.